Direct seeding white oak acorns

[Cap'n]

I have a bunch of Bur Oak, Post oak and Blackjack oak acorns and I want to direct seed them in the next couple of weeks. They have been float tested and the sinkers were put in grass seed bags and kept indoors since then. Should I re-hydrate them for a short period before planting ? I read where guys put a piece of 1/4 inch squares hardware cloth over the planted acorn and stake it down so squirrels cant get to them, anyone have any input on that process? Also I was thinking of planting some either in 1 gal. containers or in my garden here at my house, would the seedling over winter outside in healed in containers?

 

[Fish]

You ask a tough question, Capn. If it were me, i would keep as much seed viable over the winter as i could and plant in the spring. Much less hassle than trying to protect them.
I am unsure to what extent they will germinate this fall as far as root length and such. I wouldnt want a mass of tangled roots in peat moss next spring. Otherwise, I'd say store them in bulk containers with peat moss or something like it this winter in an unheated, but somewhat protected environment.

I think they would do okay in a well drained container in the ground outside. Just not sure if the roots are going to grow enough this fall to give you headaches.

 

[Cap'n]

Ok, thanks for your input.
I can do that. I just thought that natures way with these acorns is that they germinate this fall, put down roots and emerge next spring stronger than they would if planted in the spring. Yeah I hear you about having roots intertwined and I've done that with vegetables and flowers for years and just planted with a certain amount of mortality accepted. I have a bunch of 1 gal pots and may just plant those and mulch them in and move those to the field next spring, but im hesitant to put all my eggs in one basket , growing indoors is not an option. The area that im planting the majority of these is very sandy and it's tough to get enough roots to make it through the summer here.

 

[Needmorebrush82]

I have a bunch of Bur Oak, Post oak and Blackjack oak acorns and I want to direct seed them in the next couple of weeks. They have been float tested and the sinkers were put in grass seed bags and kept indoors since then. Should I re-hydrate them for a short period before planting ? I read where guys put a piece of 1/4 inch squares hardware cloth over the planted acorn and stake it down so squirrels cant get to them, anyone have any input on that process? Also I was thinking of planting some either in 1 gal. containers or in my garden here at my house, would the seedling over winter outside in healed in containers?

I stored bur acorns until spring last yr and field planted them in spring. They were all tubed and never had any supplemental water all summer. They are all around a foot tall which is much shorter than the same acorns grown in rootmakers. The field planted trees spent all of their energy putting down a taproot while the rootmaker trees put it all in top growth. I am also in central Oklahoma and can say after growing hundreds of trees I will only plant trees in gallon size containers or larger or direct seed.

 

[Cap'n]

So if you plant in a 1 gal do you just keep the acorns that don't need stratified inside and plant them in the spring or do you go ahead and plant them in the fall. I have Red oak and chestnut in the fridge to plant next spring and would like to get all the white oak started now


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[Charlieyca]

Not to derail your thread, but similar question about direct seeding white oaks. Matthew knocked down a lot of acorns, most of which are both green and brown. I know it would be ideal for them to "ripen" and fall naturally to the ground, but my question is will those still green put down roots and grow?

 

[Needmorebrush82]

So if you plant in a 1 gal do you just keep the acorns that don't need stratified inside and plant them in the spring or do you go ahead and plant them in the fall. I have Red oak and chestnut in the fridge to plant next spring and would like to get all the white oak started now


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You can start white oak now if you would like in rm 18's and let them go dormant. However I usually hold mine in cold storage until around January and then start them in rm 18's under lights. To make it clear I do not start anything in one gallon bags, they go to gallon bags after being started in rm18's. Once in gallon bags they usually stay at my house until fall or winter until I plant them. You will find doing this gives you a huge head start on fast growth and mast production. I started some dco last month in rm18 trays for 3 weeks to let the taproot get established and then put them in the nut fridge to go through the process and stop growth until January when I will have my grow lights on. I really wouldn't put much into getting the white oaks started now. Throw them in cold storage and they will hold just fine. Plant them in spring when the soil conditions permit and tube them immediately. I don't really classify in groups of needing stratification or not because I am going to use cold temperatures to hold them until conditions are right and survival is optimal. The best way I can explain it is by holding the acorns in cold storage you are only losing a few weeks of growth and if direct seeded and it gets dry and you can't water the acorns you have just lost all of them for nothing. In spring they are growing for the full season and will have a foot of taproot in 2 weeks. The rains are much more predictable and like I said I never had to water mine all summer. You also basically eliminate the predation of your acorns by waiting until spring when you can just plant them and they immediately start growing for the entire season. Don't let the excitement of planting stand in the way of a high success rate. I understand nature designed white oaks to sprout in the fall. Nature also designed the system for a high failure rate that most of us can't accept. Good Luck!

 

[Needmorebrush82]

Not to derail your thread, but similar question about direct seeding white oaks. Matthew knocked down a lot of acorns, most of which are both green and brown. I know it would be ideal for them to "ripen" and fall naturally to the ground, but my question is will those still green put down roots and grow?

If the tree had any on it starting to ripen they should be just fine. I actually prefer to pick them off of the tree instead of off of the ground. No bug issues and fewer mold issues which is a win win for me. Store the green ones in a ziplock for a few days and see if they start to ripen in the bag. Once this happens the caps should easily pop off and be ready for storage. If the caps do not come off after several days or do not break away clean the acorn is generally not ripe enough to germinate. I picked chinkapins a few weeks ago from a tree that is still loaded and slowly dropping and they turned dark brown and tried to germinate in the bag within a week!

 

[Fish]

Agreed. Those green acorns will be brown in a matter of days. They are certainly viable.

 

[Cap'n]

You can start white oak now if you would like in rm 18's and let them go dormant. However I usually hold mine in cold storage until around January and then start them in rm 18's under lights. To make it clear I do not start anything in one gallon bags, they go to gallon bags after being started in rm18's. Once in gallon bags they usually stay at my house until fall or winter until I plant them. You will find doing this gives you a huge head start on fast growth and mast production. I started some dco last month in rm18 trays for 3 weeks to let the taproot get established and then put them in the nut fridge to go through the process and stop growth until January when I will have my grow lights on. I really wouldn't put much into getting the white oaks started now. Throw them in cold storage and they will hold just fine. Plant them in spring when the soil conditions permit and tube them immediately. I don't really classify in groups of needing stratification or not because I am going to use cold temperatures to hold them until conditions are right and survival is optimal. The best way I can explain it is by holding the acorns in cold storage you are only losing a few weeks of growth and if direct seeded and it gets dry and you can't water the acorns you have just lost all of them for nothing. In spring they are growing for the full season and will have a foot of taproot in 2 weeks. The rains are much more predictable and like I said I never had to water mine all summer. You also basically eliminate the predation of your acorns by waiting until spring when you can just plant them and they immediately start growing for the entire season. Don't let the excitement of planting stand in the way of a high success rate. I understand nature designed white oaks to sprout in the fall. Nature also designed the system for a high failure rate that most of us can't accept. Good Luck!

Thats damn good answer. I'll take your advice. Thanks.